Why So Bitter?

In 2024, I started working on a homebrew campaign for a bunch of friends to play and explore around the table, but as many dungeon masters know, that format puts players (rightfully!) first, and the world must conform to that. There was no easy way to explore the world's dynamics, lore, and subtext without railroading the players and ruining their fun. I'm dead-set against that approach, so the world found its home in notes and idle thoughts lurking in the back of my mind.

Around that time, I discovered the solo role-playing genre through Ironsworn and the Tale of the Manticore podcast. These solo adventures sidestep the limitations of multiplayer tabletop games by placing the tabletop in the dungeon master's mind. This opens up opportunities to deeply explore not just a world, but the complex thoughts, feelings, and struggles of the characters within. All this is done while preserving essential game mechanics to keep things dynamic and fresh. I wasn't sure I could pull off such an ambitious and organized project, but with encouragement from family and friends, I pressed my dumb luck and forged ahead. So... here we are.

I have some ideas about where the story might go, but this is a game, not just an exploration of fantasy writing. Anarchy and uncertainty will find their way into the narrative through timely dice rolls that drive my characters into deadly encounters in a tumultuous world.

I hope you have as much fun listening to this project as I have making it. Along with my wayward characters, I'm learning to survive the unexpected twists and turns of this project every step of the way. Let's see if we can overcome adversity and strife together as we find our strength and press on against a bitter sky.

Robert